Shadow looms over Iran nuke talks

Uranium enrichment and sabotage complicating things, says diplomat

Talks to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in Vienna faces new tensions, with Teheran preparing to ramp up uranium enrichment in response to an attack on a facility it blamed on Israel.

After a positive first round of negotiations yesterday aimed at resurrecting the 2015 agreement scuttled by Donald Trump, Iran’s push towards enrichment levels needed for military use “puts pressure on everyone,” a European diplomat said.

Britain, France and Germany have expressed “grave concern” over the most recent enrichment announcement, while also rejecting “all escalatory measures by any actor”.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani yesterday restated the country’s long-standing position that “we are not seeking to obtain the atomic bomb” and that it was a “mistake” for Europe and United States to express concern that the country could enrich uranium to weaponsgrade levels “in one go”.

Teheran says the enrichment move is a response to Israel’s “nuclear terrorism” after an explosion on Sunday knocked out power at its Natanz enrichment plant.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but public radio reports in the country said it was a sabotage operation by the Mossad spy agency, citing unnamed intelligence sources.

“It definitely complicates things,” the diplomat said, ahead of the talks between the remaining members of the deal – Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and Iran – resuming at 12.30pm local time yesterday.

Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday dismissed initial offers at talks in Vienna to save Teheran’s tattered nuclear deal as “not worth looking at”.

“The offers they provide are usually arrogant and humiliating (and) are not worth looking at,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address marking the first day of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Iran on Wednesday.

He also criticised the US, warning that time could be running out.

“The talks shouldn’t become talks of attrition,” Khamenei said.

“They shouldn’t be in a way that parties drag on and prolong the talks. This is harmful to the country.”